I Heard It Through The Zip Line

When people discover you’re going to Costa Rica, most will eagerly ask: “are you going zip lining!?” Well today was the day we’ve all been waiting for: zip lining in the beautiful rainforest canopies of Costa Rica! We left the hotel nice and early to drive from Fortuna toward the mountains, slightly tired but anticipating what was ahead.  One hour and many winding roads later, we unloaded from the bus in a slight drizzle and piled under the shelter of “Canopy Zip Lining Company”. As we began the process of signing the liability waiver and putting on harnesses and helmets, some students became nervous while others bounced around with unmatched excitement.
 

After a tutorial on the overall zip lining procedure of knees up, braking, and how to recover from getting stuck (otherwise known as the contingency plan), we began our journey up the mountain to the first of nine different stations. Our camaraderie shined while we all stood in line and cheered on those who tentatively approached the platform to go, the first being Nader. About halfway through the line, the first “WOOHOO!” of the day rang through the trees, setting the tone for what would be one of the most adventurous days of our SIE trip.

We started to approach each proceeding cable with more courage than the last both in technique and style, all of which became significantly longer and increasingly faster. By far though, the most pleasant surprise and favorite part of our excursion was the Tarzan swing—a gigantic, hanging cable in the middle of the rainforest that you swing back and forth on three times over. A trill of enthusiasm reverberated through our group, as we pulled out cameras and phones to take videos of each other experiencing this once in a lifetime opportunity. For most of us, the first swing was used to adjust to the new sensations of being a real-life Tarzan or Jane, while the following two swings consisted of striking poses and catch phrases being yelled out.

After the Tarzan swing, we continued down the zip line cables only to approach the grand finale, a 750 foot-long stretch back to solid ground. We all breathed in the fresh rainforest air, and took mental pictures of the most gorgeous views Costa Rica has to offer.  When the journey came to its conclusion, some traded breathing the fresh air for sighs of relief, and the others joined in chants of “let’s do it again!”

Regardless of the trepidations felt ahead of time, zip lining truly became the essence of Pura Vida—living the pure life. Which can only explain the content, sleeping faces on the bus ride afterward heading to San Jose that are looking forward to what else Costa Rica has in store.